Tiso Wireless 12-Speed Road Group Photos, Updates

posted by Tyler Benedict - December 14, 2012 - 5pm EST

Since our original post earlier this week, we’ve received some bigger, better photos and additional details. Some of these we added to that first post, but more pics are here. In case you missed the update, here’s the highlight reel:

All components will get properly finished, with the front derailleur above more representative of the final look. Yes, this is way better than the first batch of pics.

The rear derailleur’s servo motor cover will likely be carbon fiber and much sleeker in shape than what’s shown here.

The battery box will be smaller and sleeker and house a tiny secondary memory battery to save system settings. The main system will still be powered by AA’s, and if you haven’t got a set of rechargeables, Sanyo’s Eneloop NiMH batteries are the only ones worth a damn.

Shifters can be set for 10, 11 or 12 speed systems, letting you add the levers and derailleurs to any modern road drivetrain and make it electronic.

They will have their own smartphone app available. If the system gains any traction, it would be really cool to see what third party developers could do with training programs that auto shift to keep you in the right training zone, cadence or effort.

They start taking orders in January for late Spring delivery (think late April as a target).

Comments

Did they mention anything about what free hub these will fit on? 10s Shimano/11s Shimano/something new?

adam - 12/14/12 - 7:01pm

“The cassette gets away with fitting on a standard 10-speed freehub body because they’re full titanium cogs. That makes them strong enough to be thinner and have very narrow spacing.”
–the prior post on this nonsense

The statement about titanium cogs is even more nonsensical, as steel is much stronger than titanium. Strength by weight is not always better, but steel has almost always more strength by volume, and that is what matters when reducing the width of cogs.

ND - 12/14/12 - 7:50pm

So, unless this gruppo costs like $300 I still dont see why anyone would choose it over the tried and true systems. Its ugly, probably heavy and almost certainly wont work right.

td - 12/14/12 - 7:56pm

it looks so cheap

Hilary Clinton - 12/14/12 - 8:55pm

Can’t wait to kit out my Fred brand aero TT bike. So stoked.

andpsz - 12/14/12 - 9:03pm

This will be a revolution indeed for training purposes! I can see myself right now updating all of my athlete’s agendas. Tomorow all they need to do is go out and start pedaling, app will tell them what to do shifting their gears! fantastic!

Ventruck - 12/14/12 - 9:31pm

Maybe I’m stating the obvious, but Tiso has to at least have a gloss finish on the levers and RD to exhibit some sort of refinement. Those levers are looking terrible.

Speedy - 12/14/12 - 9:52pm

Come on guys, you are missing the point. It’s made in ITALY!

JB - 12/14/12 - 9:57pm

For those complaining about finishing, some of these parts look like prototypes – fairly early prototypes, at that… or at least I’d hope. The rear derailleur is definitely produced by an additive manufacturing process (SLA, SLS, etc.), and really not cleaned up anywhere near enough for a press release photo shoot. Yes, it’s a pain to make them perfectly smooth, but it’s either a bit more money or a bit more time, and well worth it.

The levers look like fiber reinforced plastic – likely nylon(?). Glossy finishes are very hard on fiber reinforced parts without paint, but it does look like a significant improvement could be made by increasing mold temperature. This would allow the parts to “skin” more, bringing more resin to the surface and improving surface finish. Or it could just be a really ugly sand cast aluminum part, which would explain the awful texture. Hard to tell.

Mark - 12/15/12 - 1:38am

If they work well I’d buy it. No wires or cables, what could be better. I think it looks quite ok but really whats more important, form or function. I’ll take function every time.

kami - 12/15/12 - 2:18am

@Mark
“No wires or cables”
Power cables will still be there, their “wireless” claim isn’t exactly accurate.

Brendan - 12/15/12 - 6:26am

This will be the best thing ever if it lets me shift my riding partner’s bike to 53-11 every time we roll to a stop.

Loyd flanders - 12/15/12 - 8:07am

I definitely like the concept of wireless and functionality paired with a smart phone, but wonder about the need for this range of cassette. Looking at the profile sure you get a nice one tooth gap on most cogs but I just don’t like the idea of spending most of my cycling time shifting gears non stop.
Tiso which school kid with access to free fonts did you get to create your logo it is appalling excuse for a logo?? I could have made a better attempt using standard word fonts. I can’t but help details like this will ruin your legitamacy as a true component manufacturer …. To compete with the big guns you have to be looking damn schmick!!

Eric NM - 12/15/12 - 12:01pm

@ Loyd flanders: …but you just don’t get it: They’re made in Italy!

But seriously. Gotta give props where they’re due:

+1 to Brendan
+1 to Speedy (whom I shamelessly copied!)

PS: My attitudes are evolving: I used to think that electronic shifting was a sign of the apocalypse. Well, no more. Now that Fox and LaPierre have mountain bikes with electronic suspension control (iCD) w/ a whopping 25 hour battery life), I now know for certain that The End is near…

Jordan - 12/15/12 - 4:13pm

I’m still trying to figure out why we ever needed more than 7 gears. When we went to 8 it was like WTF? Then overtime it became alright. Then there was 9 and who the hell needs NINE gears? And ten, what a waste of material it could be lighter with out that shit. Now we have 11 and 12. It’s like the world is ending, I now have too many choices for gearing, I can actually be in the correct gearing for my preffered cadence most of the time. Something is seriously wrong. One of these days we will develop a lightweight variable transmission, then the world will REALLY end.

Psi Squared - 12/15/12 - 5:28pm

Yes, too many gears. Oh why did we ever stray from having to stop to switch between two gears to derailleurs? Oh why did we ever have to switch from 5 to 6 gears? Oh why did we ever have to switch from 6 to 7 gears? Oh why did we ever have to switch from 7 to……wait…somebody already whined about that. Oh, why did we ever have to switch from 8 to 9 gears? Oh why did we ever have to switch from 9 to 10 gears? Oh why did we ever have to switch from 10 to 11 gears? Oh why is someone forcing us to buy a system that goes from 11 to 13 gears? Why ooooohhhhh why? Can someone help me find my hanky? Why doesn’t anyone listen to me and my whining friends? We obviously know better than everyone else…..I mean, how else do you think we got to be cycling snobs? Why oh why don’t people appreciate our snootily upturned noses?

Mason - 12/15/12 - 7:45pm

I, for one, wonder why we even invented the bicycle in the first place and aren’t all riding around on horseback #retrogrouch

Brandon - 12/15/12 - 8:27pm

Mason FTW.

dwiz - 12/15/12 - 9:06pm

Other than the fraction of people that live within earshot of this Tiso. No one, I mean no one will buy this for the following reasons ( or wish they didn’t):
1. Who the hell has heard of Tiso before
2. Availability will be ridiculous
3. As will the service
4. Expensive and who the hell has heard of Tiso!!!!

Pete - 12/16/12 - 1:01am

LOL @ dwiz

Lots of people have heard of Tiso. Good brand and nice kit.

Availability and service, you have a point, however…

RickyBob - 12/16/12 - 7:18am

You are all missing the point: Road bikes are stupid therefore this is irrelevant.

Loyd flanders - 12/16/12 - 7:47am

@ Eric Nm…. The Ferarri 458 Italia is made in Italy and it doesn’t look like a set of dogs balls!

There is some truth in the “why do we need ever more gears”-argument. Going from 5 to 6 is not the same as going from 9 to 10. The point is, you can’t have half a tooth. The more gears we get, the less gaps can be filled by adding another cog. With a 10-speed road cassette, the first gap is usually between 15 and 17. With 11-speed you can fill that gap, but is it really important to go to 12-speed to fill the gap between 17 and 19?

Of course you can use extra cogs to build very large cassettes, like the SRAM 10-42. But I am not convinced that is the way to go.

andpsz - 12/16/12 - 11:40pm

Next up…wireless charging withing 1m from source like the next Iphone 6 coming up soon there we go…no cables at all! just don’t ride with a pace maker and should be all fine.

Frank - 12/17/12 - 10:41pm

Just had a thought – next increment will be 13 speeds – bit of an unlucky number isn’t it? Does that mean manufacturers will stop at 12?

Borgnyne - 12/18/12 - 10:57pm

Frank, it’s simple – just invert the 13 to drain the bad luck out.
Back to Johnny Danger.. a 14 spd controlled by farts would be awesome. Any tips on how to change gears sitting down then?

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